“The Middle East is the cradle of civilizations, rich with stories of great kings, prophets and philosophers, from Cyrus the Great to Moses to Ibn Khaldun,” said Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince of Iran. “Our nations have given the world some of the greatest visionaries, leaders like Anwar Sadat, King Hussein, Menachem Begin, King Faisal and my father, who have shouldered the burden of seeking peace for our people. But for 45 years, many of us have been forced to live in fear, fear of the next terrorist attack, fear of war, fear of economic instability, fear of nuclear blackmail, because my country has been held hostage for 45 years by an extremist regime that seeks not only to keep my people in chains but also to export its revolutions to your countries and your people.”
In a video clip posted on social media, he said, “The regime in Tehran is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people: Iranians, Arabs, Israelis, Christians, Muslims and Jews,” explaining that “it contributed to the October 7, 2023 attack, and ignited sectarian conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. It is trying to destabilize Jordan, delegitimize the Saudi king, use the Palestinians as human shields, and now bring the cradle of our civilization to the brink of a regional war.”
“This is not the war of the Iranian people, it is the war of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his regime,” Pahlavi stressed. “The tyrant in Tehran dresses up his wars with Iranian nationalism, but he does not speak for our nation. The crimes his regime has committed against you, our neighbors, are an insult to Iranians and our values.” He added, “For us Iranians, pride in our nation and love of our country do not come at the expense of hatred, hostility, or chauvinism. Our citizens have shown time and again that they do not want Iran’s wealth to be wasted on fueling wars, fostering instability, or financing terrorism.”
“The Iranians are not your enemy, the Islamic Republic is our common enemy, the enemy of all peoples who seek peace in our region, regardless of the country they belong to or the religion they follow,” he stressed, adding: “So I say to you, our friends in the Middle East: Our region deserves much better, but in order for us to succeed, this regime that has held us hostage for nearly half a century must first go. The Middle East knows all too well about turmoil and coups, so I know you may fear that change will bring chaos, but fear not, we will not allow a power vacuum to occur after the collapse of this regime.”
He also stressed that “there is a broad coalition of patriotic Iranians at home and abroad, ready to serve our country and achieve peace with our region,” noting that “I told my citizens that I will do my duty, I will step forward – based on their call – to supervise this peaceful transition to democracy, and Iran’s return to the international community.” He stressed that “peace is not a legacy of history nor a distant dream, it is a promise we owe to ourselves and our children, and together we can achieve it.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.